7:13 PM
Eleven eminent citizens have expressed serious concern at the government’s hurried move to establish a special economic zone (SEZ) on 511 acres of agricultural land of a tea estate in Habiganj.
In a statement on Wednesday, they pointed out that such move would affect the livelihoods of the tea workers and destroy cultivation of a few crops there.
The signatories are Hossain Zillur Rahman, Hameeda Hossain, Anu Muhammad, Khushi Kabir, Rahnuma Ahmed, Jyotirmoy Barua, Shahidul Alam, Tanzibuddin Khan, Shamsul Huda, Hasnat Quaiyum and Philip Gain.
Based on their field visit and media reports, the civil society leaders said, the local administration has transferred 511 acres of agricultural land to Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) showing them as non-agricultural land.
Their investigation shows the ancestors of tea workers and their families who have been cultivating the land prepared this agricultural land 150 years back along with preparing land for cultivation of tea. Of 3,951 acres of land in Chandpore Tea Estate, 951 acres are agricultural land.
“These families depend on this land for mere survival. We believe an injustice will be done to the tea workers and their families of Chandpore Tea Estate if the agricultural land is transferred without properly consulting them or taking their economic fate into consideration,” they said in the statement.
They called on the government to ensure that there is no injustice done to the workers.
Acknowledging the importance of the SEZ, the citizens argued that agriculture is important, too.
They made an appeal to the government to initiate a larger national discussion on economic zones and ensure wise and rightful use of the land.
Prothom Alo
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